Electrical insulator block



Aug. 4, 1925.

1,548,715 R. A. DENNIS.

ELECTRICAL INSULATOR BLOCK Filed May 2. i921 L mm WITNESSES- 7 7 nv vs vrun Arron/ Em Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT AUGUSTINE DENNIS, OF ASHTABULA, OHIO.

ELECTRICAL INSULATOB, BLOCK.

Application filed May 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ashtabula, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Insulator Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical insulator blocks especially adapted for use in wiring buildings and is a continuation in part of my application Serial #326,501 illGCl Sept. 26, 1919.

An important object of this invention is to provide an insulator block which may be applied to a partition to form a convenient and secure means whereby an electric switch or the like may be attached to the partition and electrically connected to the wires.

in carrying out the invention, the base or attaching portion of the improved insulator block is of the same thickness as the plaster which is applied to the partition so that upon the completion of the partition the plaster will be flush with the outer face of the base. This feature greatly facilitates or expedites plastering of the partition since plasterers do not have to make special provision for the base.

Further, by making the base equal to the thickness of the plaster, the partition may be papered in a highly expeditious manner and the job when completed makes an extremely neat appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insulator base or partition which is of highly simplified construction, simple to apply and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forminga part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same Figure 1 is a perspective of the improved insulator block applied to a plastered wall.

Figure 2 is a sectional View through the same applied.

Figure 3 is a group perspective of the improved insulator block.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same applied to a partition.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 1921. Serial No. 466,344.

generally designates the improved block which preferably is formed from porcelain or other insulating material and which includes a disleshaped base 6 adapted to be applied to the laths 7 of a partition generally designated by the numeral 8. The dis r-shaped base is provided with a pair of openings 10 through which fastening screws 11 or other fastening devices extend and engage the laths 7 so as to firmly secure the base to the laths- The improved insulator is provided with a pair of short tubular members 12 formed integral with the base and extending from the inner side of the same and through the laths. The laths 7 are of course provided with holes prior to the application of the block so that the tubular members 12 may pass through the laths to permit the base 6 to flatly contact with the laths. The disk shaped base 6 is provided with openings in registration with the tubular members 12 for the reception of electric wires 13 which are extended out through the outer side of the base and are adapted for connection with a switch 1 1 or other electrical device such as a fixture or light receptacle.

The outer face of the disk-shaped base 6 is provided with a straight recess 16 of elongated formation and of the same width and depth throughout. lVith reference to Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that the straight recess 16 receives an attaching bar 17 having its intermediate portion secured firmly in engagement with the bottom of the recess by means of fastening screws 18 having threaded engagement with the walls of openings 118. The heads 19 of the screw bolts 18 are received within the enlarged end portions of the openings 22 through which fastening devices 18 extend. The enlarged outer ends of the openings 22 may be provided with a quantity of sealing wax after the screw bolts 18 have been positioned to hold the screw bolts against rotation. Since the ends 19 of the screw bolts are received within the enlarged end portions of the openings 22 the bolts do not interfere With the'arrangement of the base flatly in contact with the laths.

The end portions of the connecting bar are offset as indicated at 23 and are spaced from the bottom walls of the elongated recess 16 so that when the fastening bolts 2-1 are extended through the threaded opening 25, the ends of the fastening bolts will not contact with. the bottom wall of. the recess. The screw bolts 24 are extended through the base portion of the switch or other device and serve as a means for securely connecting the switch to the base. The attaching bar 17 is firmly held within the recess by screw bolts 18 and by the contact of the edges of the bar with the side walls of the recess, since the bar is snugly received within the recess. Therefore the offset end portions 23 of the connecting bar are positively prevented from twisting when the screw bolts 24 are tightened. lVith reference to Figure 2 it will be observed that the offset end portions 23 of the connecting bar 17 are normally disposed flush with the out i sur face of the disk-shaped base 6.

The improved insulatorblock is applied to the partition immediately after the application of the laths 7. As previously stated, the laths are provided with a pair of spaced openings for the reception of tubular members 12 and after the tubular members 12 have been passed through the laths the screws 11 or other fastening devices may be passedthrough the openings 10 and engaged with the laths so as to securely hold the disk-shaped base 6 in position. T he wires 13 may now be passed through the tubular members 12 and out through the base for subsequent connection with the switch or other electrical device.

The partition may be plastered in the usual manner and as the base 6 is of a thickness equal to the thickness of the plaster, a perfectly smooth surface will be provided for the application of paper or paint as the case may be.

The switch or other electrical device may be applied to the base after the application of the paper since the attachment of the switch will not mar or disfigure the paper.

Should it be desired to repaper the wall the switch or other electrical device may be removed without in any way breaking off the plaster since the base extends beyond the outer sides of the switch. After thewall has been re-papered, the switch or other electrical device may be reapplied without in any way marring the appearance of the paper or the wall.

In Figure 4t the insulator block 5 is connected to a partition 30 having no plaster or laths and possessed of only a single thickness.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. An electrical insulator block for partitions comprising a disk-shaped base having a flat outer surface and being of a thickiess equal to the thickness of the plaster applied to the partition whereby wall paper when applied to the plaster may extend over and conceal the base, said base being provided on its outer sidewith a straightrecess of elongated formation and of the same width and depth throughout, an attaching bar of elongated formation snugly received within said recess and having its end portions offset and flush with the face of the base, the offset end portions of said bar being provided with threaded openings adapted for the reception of fastening devices by means of which an electrical device may be flatly secured to the base and to said bar and completely conceal said bar, and attaching means for securing the base to a partition.

2. An electrical insulator block for partitions comprising a disk-shaped base having a tlat outer surface and being of a thick ness equal to the thickness of the plaster applied to the partition whereby wall paper when applied to the plaster may extend over and conceal the base, said base being provided on its outer side with. a straight recess of elongated formation and of the same width and depth throughout, an attaching bar of elongated formation snugly received within said recess and. having its end portions offset and flu-sh with the face of the base, the offset end portions of said bar being provided with threaded openings adapted for the reception of fastening de vices by means of which an electrical device may be flatly secured to the base and to said bar, attaching means for securing the base to a partition, and an electrical device of a lesser diameter than the base secured to the base by means of said fastening devices and completely concealing and pro tecting said bar, and wire conductors connected to the rear sides of said base.

ROBERT AUGUSTINE DENNIS. 

